Orofino on NGO Education Development in Stong che Village

This chapter describes an Italian non-governmental organization (NGO)’s effects on education in Khri ka in Amdo. Specifically, this chapter examines the village of Stong che in Khri ka (Guide) County, Haidong, Qinghai. She states that her chapter is not a “critical analysis of the developmental process” but a “report” on the conditions of and activities in Stong che (291 ). Because of this, she does not cite other sources since she relies entirely on her fieldwork.

She begins with a description of the educational and economic conditions in Stong che, mentioning that Tibetans there often rely on monasteries and bla ma for education instead of secular governmental schools (292 ). The main body of the chapter is a report of the NGO’s activities and a general description of the status of educational facilities in Stong che.

Included at the end of the chapter are several photographs, including ones of monks from nearby monasteries coming to consecrate the land during the construction of a school associated with this project. In general, readers must keep in mind that this is the report of an NGO’s activities and observations from the perspective of aid workers, rather than a critical economic study of Stong che’s education system. Thus, unlike some other works in the PIATS volume on Amdo , it may be wisest to treat this chapter as a primary source rather than an academic study.